Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, a “extremely dangerous suspect” charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and assault, is on the run
The suspect who is accused of brutally beating and kidnapping a woman in Oregon is currently on the run.
Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, is considered “an extremely dangerous suspect” and is wanted for attempted murder, kidnapping and assault, according to the police department in Grants Pass, a city of roughly 40,000 people in southwestern Oregon.
State and local investigators have been working “around the clock” to find Foster, who is wanted on suspicion of attempted murder, kidnapping and assault, Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman has said.
Foster was charged with assault, battery and kidnapping in the year 2019 for alleged abuse against his then-girlfriend.
Police said that the woman is still in critical condition at the local hospital. As of Thursday, police were providing security for the victim, according to Hensman.
Police are urging the public to send in tips on the suspect’s whereabouts or any potential sightings. In a statement Sunday, the department said people should pay particular attention to his eyes and facial structure, as they believe he may try to alter his appearance by changing the cut or color of his hair and beard.
In the statement, police said people should not approach the “extremely dangerous suspect” and should instead call 911 immediately. Foster could have a gun.
A person offered to take the woman to the hospital after she ran through a store and into an apartment complex. There, she was found to have seven broken ribs, two black eyes and abrasions to her wrists and ankles from being tied up, the report said.
Search for a suspect that is running from a woman in Nevada with a naked naked man: Benjamin Obadiah Foster on dating apps
Foster accepted the plea deals in the cases. In the first case, he was sentenced to a maximum of 30 months in prison but given credit for 729 days served.
In addition to being accused of holding another woman captive in Nevada, he is currently on the run and is active on dating apps.
Police have established a tip line and are offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to Foster’s arrest and prosecution. And they warn that he may be looking for additional victims or help evading the authorities, including by posing as a potential suitor.
Police said Sunday that Foster may try to change his appearance by shaving his beard and hair or changing his hair color, and is urging the public to pay attention to his facial structure and blue eyes “since those features are very difficult to change.” Several photos of him with various lengths of head and facial hair have been shared by them.
In an email on Monday afternoon, a Match Group spokesman said they did not have any information to confirm Foster was on their platforms, but were still looking into it.
Bumble told NPR over email that its team has been “working around the clock to identify any members based on the information that is available to us at this time,” and has not located anyone on the app with Foster’s full name.
“If a member of our community is found to be in violation of the community’s code of conduct, we will take immediate action against them,” it said.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/30/1152559181/benjamin-obadiah-foster-oregon-kidnapping
Match Group, Facebook, and RAINN: Safe Dating Apps For The Victims Of A Domestic Violence Victim (James Jordan) Hensman
Criminal background checks are not done on most dating apps. As of late last year, four Match Group sites — Tinder, Match, Plenty of Fish and the single parent dating app Stir — allow users to run background checks using the platform Garbo, provided they have at least their match’s first name and phone number.
Match Group will continue to roll that feature into other brands in the U.S. It also touts safety features including photo verification, anti-harassment prompts and its process for reporting users.
The anti-sexual assault nonprofit RAINN offers safety tips for anyone using dating apps to connect online or meet in person. They include: look up your potential date on social media, block and report users for suspicious behavior, don’t respond to requests for financial help, and don’t rely on your date for transportation.
Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman said at a press conference last week that she was held for a “protracted period of time.” The victim and the suspect had a “prior domestic relationship,” Hensman said, according to The Oregonian.
In 2019, before moving to Oregon, he held his then-girlfriend captive in her Las Vegas apartment for two weeks, The Associated Press reports — while he was on a suspended jail sentence for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit as well as awaiting trial in a 2018 domestic violence case.
She managed to escape from Foster after persuading him to bring her and her dog with him to a grocery store and gas station, reportedly sprinting through a store and into a nearby apartment complex while he was distracted letting the dog out of the car.